Automobile running board



March 1934- .H. GEYER ET AL 1,952,065

AUTOMOBILE RUNNING BOARD Fild May 25, 1933 Z SheetS-Sheet l INVENTORS HRH VEY fl GEYEH HUIVHLD JIA/kTEHBL/RY March 27, 1934. H.- D. GEYER El AL AUTOMOBILE RUNNING BOARD Filed May 25, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet INVENTORE HHHVEY H GEYER Fr'mvHLa .J TAZQTEHEUHY f I OL 7 ATTORNEY s Patented Mar. 27, 1934 UNl-TED STATES PATEN? @FFKIE AUTOMOBILE RUNNING BOARD Application May 25, 1933, Serial No. 672,768 12 Claims. (01. 280-163) This invention relates to running boards for automotive vehicles.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved form of stamped sheet metal running I board having a series of stiffening corrugations or channels pressed in the metal of the running board proper and a separate cover mat fastened upon the upper surface thereof, said cover mat embodying a relatively flat metal foundation sheet which overlies said stiifening corrugations or channels and thereby provides a substantially flat step surface.

A more specific object is to provide such a running board wherein the separate cover mat has a metal foundation sheet and a molded rubber covering vulcanized directly thereto. Stamped sheet metal running boards are well-known, however, they ordinarily require separate stiffening members, such as steel channels or angles, welded or 80 otherwise fixed to the bottom surface thereof,

both for the purpose of stiffening same and providing a means for properly fastening the board to the usual support brackets. By this invention the stamped metal board is so shaped with integral channels therein as to render such separate stifiening and fastening members unnecessary. This feature greatly reduces the cost of manufacture and provides a very rigid and eflicient construction. The relatively fiat separate cover mat of this invention'with its sheet steel foundation overlies and conceals the'open top channels in the board proper and hence provides a suitable relatively flat step surface. Since this foundation sheet is relatively flat when compared to the board proper, it is obvious that the desired rubber covering may be vulcanized to the separate metal foundation in a much simpler and more economical manner than to the board proper due to the relatively simple form of vulcanizing mold required.

Another feature of the combination of this invention is the flexibility of the sheet steel foundation of the. cover mat which permits it to be originally covered with rubber vulcanized directly thereto while it is in flat form and then be sufficiently flexed or bent to conform to the sweeping curves of the board proper for suitable fitting thereupon. Obviously this feature greatly reduces cost of manufacture.

the cover mat.

Another feature of the invention is the use of Another feature of the invention is the metal molding strip extending along the margins, of the cover mat and substantially embedded within a groove molded in the rubber covering and concealed means depending from said molding 6O strip and through the metal foundation for cianiping the margins of said cover mat down tightly upon the board proper.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following 6! description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein a preferred embodiment of one form of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a plan view of an assembled running board and cover mat made according to this invention, and shows in dotted lines how the board is attached to the two transverse support brackets which are shown broken off at the top of the view.

Fig. 2 is'a side elevation of the board and cover mat therefor as shown in Fig. 1 except that the support brackets are omitted.

Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken on line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a section through one of the fastening devices for the marginal molding strip of the cover mat and is taken on line 4-4. of Figs. 3 and 1.

Fig. 5 is a section through one of the fastening devices for the depending attachment flange of the cover mat and is taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a section on line 66 of Fig. 5.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

Numeral 10 designates the pressed sheet metal running board proper and is here shown as having two transverse open-top channels 11 which register with'and rest irectly upon the two support brackets 12 which ordinarily extend downwardly from the chassis side rails of an automobile. Brackets 12 may be of any suitable cross section but Fig. 3 shows a pressed sheet metal bracket 12 of channel section having depending stiffening flanges 13. The bottom walls of the open-top channels 11 are rigidly fixed to the two brackets 12 by the bolts 15 whose heads 16 lie within the channels 11 so that they will not interfere with the cover mat to be later applied to the top surface of the running board 10. Therefore the integral channels 11 not only serve to stiffen and strengthen the board 10' but they also render unnecessary the usual separate angles or channels which are ordinarily riveted-or bolted molding strip 41 which preferably extends ento the bottom of a running board to serve as means for fastening the board to its support brackets.

Preferably board 10 also has pressed in the metal thereof a substantially centrally located longitudinal open-top channel 17 which intercepts the two transverse channels 11, as clearly shown in Figs. land 3, and thus greatly increases the strength and stifiness of the board 10 and renders unnecessary the usual separate longitudinal stiffening members which are ordinarily riveted to the bottom of a pressed metal running board. Board 10 is also shown as having the usual downwardly curved outer marginal portion 20 which terminates in a bead 21 and in turned flange 22 as clearly shown in Fig. 3. Board 10 also has the downwardly turned end flanges 23 for suitable attachment to. the front and rear fenders and the downwardly turned inner longitudinal flange 24 for suitable attachment to a metal dust shield (not shown).

The cover mat of this invention is designated in its entirety by numeral and comprises a somewhat flexible sheet steel foundation 31 having a somewhat flexible rubber covering 32 bonded to its upper surface, preferably by being vulcanized in place thereupon. This cover mat 30 therefore is sufficiently flexible to permit considerable flexing 'or bending thereof whereby it may be made to conform accurately to the sweepand embedded in the marginal beads 34 of the rubber covering 32 and. the extreme edges of the rubber covering terminate in a slightly depending flexible rubber lip 35. Hence when the cover mat is clamped down upon board 10 these flexible rubber lips 35 are forced into very tight contact with the upper surface of board 10 and provide a neat sealed joint therewith. g

The marginal rubber beads 34 have a peripheral groove 40 molded therein, preferably of such size and. depth as to snugly enclose the metal tirely around the edges of cover mat 30 and constitutes means for rigidly clamping the edges of the mat to the board 10. This molding-strip 41 is preferably rolled up from chrome plated sheet metal to provide a hollow oval section with a small longitudinal gap 42 in its bottom wall. Small metal fasteners 43 each having a head 44 and two depending flat lugs 45, may be slidably secured to the strip 41 by inserting the head 44 within the hollow molding strip 41 with the two flat lugs 45 projecting through the gap 42 therein. Now when the cover mat 30 is put in place upon the board it the fasteners 43 are slipped along the molding strip 41 until the lugs 45 register with and are inserted in the aligned holes 46 in the foundation 31 and board 10. The strip 41 is then pressed firmly down into its groove 40, whereupon the small shoulders 47 on lugs 45 snap outwardly due to the spring of the metal and engage the under side of board 10 (see Fig. 4). Thus the molding strip 41 serves to clamp the edges of the cover mat 30 down tightly upon the board 10 and the fastening means, namely fasteners 43, are entirely concealed by the strip 41. If desired, any other suitable form of depending fastening lugs on strip -41 may be substituted for the particular form of fasteners 43 shown in the drawings. For instance, smallthreaded bolts having their heads inserted within the hollow strip 41 may be used. and small nuts applied to their threaded ends which project through the board 10.

Preferably the cover mat 30 has a longitudinally extending stiifening metal channel 50 spot Welded at 51 to its under side which channel 50 nests within the above-described longitudinal stiffening channel 17 in board 10 (see Figs. 1, 3 and 5) Channel 50 has small inturned flanges 52 with integral upstanding ears 53 thereon which form a pocket for the small nuts 54 placed therein and which prevent the turning of these nuts 54 after the channel 50 is welded to the foundation 31.

Now the cover mat 30 may be set upon the board 10 after the bracket bolts 15 have been inserted in their holes in the bottom of the transverse. channels 11, and then the small bolts 55 inserted upwardly through holes in the bottom of channel 17 and screwed by means of a screwdriver tightly into the nuts 54 which are held against turning and properlylocated by the ears 53. This clamps the central portion of the cover mat 30 down upon the bottom of channel 17 in board 10 as clearly shown in Figs. 5 and 6. g The marginal molding strips 41 are then inserted and clamped to the board 10 by the metal fasteners 43 as described above, the cover mat 30 being flexed sufficiently to cause it to conform accurately to the sweeping curves of the board 10 and provide a neat fit thereupon. The now fully assembled running board may be easily attached toiits support brackets 12 by inserting the downwardly projecting ends of bolts 15 through holes provided in the brackets 12 and applying the nuts 14 thereto.

Obviously the cover mat 30 entirely overlies and conceals all the open-top stiffening and attaching channels 11 and 17 in the pressed steel board 10 and provides a suitable step surface thereupon.

While the form of embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. In an automotive vehicle having a chassis frame, in combination, two transversely-extending metal brackets carried by said frame, an elongated pressed sheet metal running board having two integral transversely extending open-top depending channels pressed therein and resting upon said brackets respectively, headed means for securing the bottom walls of said channels to said brackets having their heads located within said channels below the main upper surface of said board, and a cover mat embodying a metal foundation sheet fixed upon the upper surface of said board and completely covering and concealing said open-top channels and said headed means therein.

2. In an automotive vehicle having a chassis frame, in combination, two transversely-extending metal brackets carried by said frame, an elongated pressed sheet metal running board having a plurality of depending open-topstiffening channels formed therein, two of said channels registering with and resting upon said brackets, headed means for fastening the bottom Walls of said channels to said brackets havingtheir heads located within said channels, and a cover mat for said board overlying and concealing from above said open-top channels and providing a ning board.

3. In an automotive vehicle having a chassis frame, in combination, two transversely-extending metal brackets carried by said frame, an elongated pressed sheet metal running board having a plurality of depending open-top stiffening channels formed therein, a cover mat for said board embodying a rubber-covered metal foundation sheet overlying and concealing said open-top channels, and concealed means having heads located within said channels for securing said board to said brackets.

4. In combination, an elongated pressed sheet metal running board for an automobile, said board having a plurality of depending open-top stiffening channels pressed therein, a support bracket for said board, one of said channels registering with and resting upon said support bracket, means having a head located within said one channel for fastening said board to said bracket, and a cover mat for said board embodying a metal foundation sheet overlying and concealing said open-top channels and the fastening means located therein.

5. In combination, an elongated pressed sheet metal running board for an automobile, said board having a plurality of depending open-top stiffening channels pressed therein, a support bracket for said board, one of said channels registering with and resting upon said support bracket, means having a head located within said one channel for fastening said board to said bracket, and a cover mat for said board embodying a metal foundation sheet overlying and concealing said open-top channels and the fastening means located therein, and means located in another of said open-top channels for fastening said cover mat to said board.

6. In combination, an elongated pressed sheet metal running board for an automobile, said board having a plurality of dependingopen-top stiffening channels pressed therein, and a cover mat comprising a rubber-covered metal sheet overlying and concealing said open-top channels and providing a substantially smooth step surface on said running board.

7. In combination, an elongated pressed sheet metal running board for an automobile, said board having a plurality of depending open-top stifiening channels pressed therein, and a cover mat comprising a rubber-covered metal sheet overlying and concealing said open-top channels and providing a substantially smooth step surface on said running board, and means located within one of said open-top channels for fastening said cover mat to said board.

8. In combination, an elongated pressed sheet metal running board for an automobile, said board having a plurality of depending open-top stiffening channels pressed therein, and a cover c, mat for said board comprising a rubber-covered metal sheet overlying and concealing said opentop channels, said metal sheet having a depending metal flange nesting within one of said opentop channels and secured to the bottom thereof.

9. In combination, an elongated pressed sheet metal running board for an automobile, said board having a plurality of depending open-top stiffening channels pressed therein, and a cover mat for said board comprising a rubber-covered metal sheet overlying and concealing said opentop channels, said metal sheet having a depending metal flange nesting within one of said opentop channels and having a series of threaded nuts non-rotatably attached thereto, and a series of threaded bolts insertable through holes in the bottom of said one channel and. into said nuts for clamping said cover mat to said board.

10. In combination, a pressed sheet metal running board for an automobile, said board having a plurality of depending open-top stiffening channels formed therein, and a cover mat for said board comprising a rubber-covered metal foundation sheet overlying and concealing said opentop channels, said mat having a marginal channel in its rubber covering, a metal molding strip within said channel, and concealed means ex tending through aligned holes in said metal foundation and metal board for clamping saidmolding strip down upon said board.

11. In combination, a pressed sheet metal running board for an automobile, said board having a plurality of depending open-top stiffening channels formed therein, and a cover mat for said board comprising a rubber-covered metal foundation sheet overlying and concealing said open-top channels, said mat having a marginal channel in its rubber covering, a metal molding strip within said channel, and a series of relatively small metal projections depending from said molding strip and insertable through aligned holes in said metal foundation and metal board for clamping said molding strip down upon said board.

12. In combination, a pressed sheet metal running board for an automobile, said board having a plurality of stiffening corrugations formed therein, and a cover mat for said board comprising a metal foundation sheet having a molded rubber covering vulcanized thereto, said mat having an open-top marginal channel in said rubber covering, a metal molding strip embedded within said channel sustantially flush with the adjacent upper surface of said rubber covering, and a series of metal fastening lugs extending from said molding strip through aligned holes in said metal foundation and metal board for clamping said strip down upon said board.

HARVEY D. GEYER. RONALD J. WATERBURY. 

